Game apparatus



(No Model.)

A. FABER DU PAUR, Jr. & W. H. BRISTOL. A

GAME APPARATUS.

No. 496,195. Patented Apr. 25, 1893.

NITE STATES PATENT (OFFICE.

ADOLPII FABER DU FAUR, JR., OF NEWARK, AND l/VILLIAM H. BRISTOL, OF HOBOKEN, NEW JERSEY.

GAME APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 496,195, dated April 25, 1893.

Application filed September 28, 1892. Serial No. 447,101. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that we, ADOLPH FABER DU FAUR, Jr., of Newark, in the county of Essex, and WILLIAM H. BRISTOL, of Hoboken,

in the county of Hudson and State of New Jersey, citizens of the United States, have invent-ed certain new and useful Improvements in Game Apparatus, of which the following is a specification.

[0 Our invention has reference to game apparatus, and especially to that class in which the players, in turn, throw dice and advance the men toward a goal in accordance with the number of units thrown; as one of this class may be mentioned the game known as parchesi.

The present invention consists essentially in the combination of a supporting base, tiers of supports projecting from said base and adapted to retain a ball and a die, or equivalent chance device, and spaces intermediate of said supports permitting the passage of the ball, all of which is more fully pointed out in the following specification and claims and illustrated in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 represents a perspective view of an apparatus constructed according to our invention. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section thereof in the plane y y, Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section in the plane 00 00, Fig. 1. Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views of modified forms, part being broken away in both instances.

Similar letters and figures indicate corre- 3 5 sponding parts throughout the several views.

In the drawings the letter A designates a suitable fiat base adapted to be supported in an inclined position by any suitable means, such for instance as the swinging bracket a hinged to said base. At right angles to the base are secured pegs 1) arranged in tiers s, s, s s s, s and s ;the pegs in alternate tiers 5, 8 8, 8 and 8, s 5 being set in the same vertical lines. In this example the pegs in the horizontal tiers are placed equidistant apart and so spaced as not to permit the passage therethrough of the ball B. Each alternate space 2, 4:, 6, &c., is enlarged, however, by cutting away portions of the facing sides of the corresponding pegs, as at c c, sufficiently to just permit the passage of the ball between the corresponding pegs at the enlarged space. These enlarged spaces or passages are formed preferably near the face of the base A, so that the ball can roll along the inclined pegs before it falls through the individual spaces.

To illustrate the operation of the apparatus it is assumed that a ball is placed upon the pegs forming space 27 of tier The ball will roll down the pegs until it reaches the enlarged space whereupon it falls. In its fall it impinges on the peg in tier 5 located centrally below the space 27 and is deflected either to the left or to the right. If deflected to the left it falls into space 23 and is retained 5 5 by the corresponding pegs, while if the ball is deflected to the right it passes through space 24 and in its continued fall impinges on the peg of tier 8 centrally below the said space and is again deflected either to the left 0 or to the right and comes to rest, in the former instance in space 21, and in the latter case it continues to fall, &c.

In playing the game each player is pro vided with a ball having a distinguishing color or mark, and the players throw dice (or spin a top) in rotation, each advancing his ball, or man, according to the number of units indicated by the dice, starting at the bottom and going upward. The first player reaching the top space (28) wins the game. Whenever one of the balls is caused to be placed into one of the enlarged spaces it falls, and so retards the progress of the player, the latter being obliged to start from the space 8 in which the ball is retained after its fall.

It is evident that the pegs can be set at an inclination to the base, and the latter set vertically. In place of spacing the pegs equally, they may be spaced unequally so that the go larger spaces permit the ball to pass,or the same elfect may be produced by the use of taper pegs.

As shown in Fig. 4, the pegs may be replaced by troughst preferably made by bend- 5 ing up strips of sheet metal,part of said troughs being provided with openings 0'. Again as shown in Fig. 5, instead of making use of the pegs or troughs themselves as deflecting surfaces for the ball, separate deflect- 10o ing pegs as 19 may be employed;--the pegs of all the tiers in this case being arranged in the same vertical lines.

It is also evident that instead of having the spaces for supporting the ball and for permitting its passage alternating as shown in Fig. 1, several supporting spaces may be grouped together, and vice versa.

In the drawings we have shown the pegs arranged substantially in a triangle, which arrangement obviates the necessity of placing inclosing walls at the sides. Of course the pegs could be arranged to form a square or other desired figure.

lVhat we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a game apparatus, the combination of an inclined or vertical base, one or more balls, a series of projecting supports arranged in tiers upon said base and adapted to retain the ball, a series of intervening spaces permitting the passage of the ball, and a die or equivalent device, according to the units indicated by which, the player advances the pal]i substantially as and for the purpose set ort 1.

2. In a game apparatus, the combination of a base, one or more balls, pegs arranged upon said base with the alternate horizontal tiers placed in vertical rows; some of the spaces be tween the pegs being wide enough to permit the passage of the ball, while theintervening spaces do not permit such passage, and a die or equivalent device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a game apparatus, the combination of a base, one or more balls, inclined pegs arranged equidistant apart upon said base and in horizontal tiers to form'interveningspaces which do not permit the passage of the ball; part of said pegs being recessed in proximity to the base to form discharge openings to which the ball is conducted when placed upon the particular pegs, substantially as described.

4. In a game apparatus, the combination of a base, one or more balls, pegs arranged upon said base, with the alternate horizontal tiers placed in vertical rows; the horizontal spaces between the pegs being numbered and each alternate space being made wide enough to permit the passage of the ball, while the intervening spaces do not permit such passage, and a die or equivalent device, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing as our invention we have signed our names, in the presence of two Witnesses, this 27th day of September, 1892.

ADOLPH FABER DU FAUR, JR. WILLIAM H. BRISTOL.

Witnesses:

KLAS H. TERNSTEDT, J. J. MALLE. 

